This presentation was really good and informational, Daniel, Frank, Carol, Kellen did an awesome job! I learned some new things. I learned a little about the history it was founded in 2006 in San Francisco California who’s CEO is Dick Costolo. I have a Twitter account and I didn’t really know all the things you could do like like a Tweet or favor it, you can retweet but trying not to do it too often. And just generally not bombard your followers with constant nonsense.

I really liked what Frank said about “for every self serving tweet you should retweet a relevant one as well.” I think that’s really true, because too often you see people or businesses just tweet for their own profit and rarely tweet or retweet something relevant. I learned about engagement that is really quite simple because it calls for interaction with other users on the medium. There are ways for increasing the engagement, and what I think is the most effective is if you’re just creative with what you tweet and tweet as often as possible but again, be relevant and creative.

I thought it was funny when Frank talked about some of the consequences of using a million #Hashtags on your post. That can get old really fast because it’s a sure way to get un-followed. But there have been some success stories that have come from using #Hastags like when fans/customers of Dairy Queen tagged them #LoveMyDq after consuming from the chair fast food restaurant. It was brilliant because the fast food chain got exposure and was constantly in the media.

Finally Kellen made a terrific point about keeping your username as something clean and professional like a middle name or last name. Trying to avoid something like @juicylips69 is not professional and probably won’t open any doors for you in the right direction. It can be hard but it’s important to realize that everything can be linked back to you so keeping your social media outlets professional and not necessarily posting everything is the best way to go!

I really enjoyed last weeks trip to Georgia Public Broadcasting! GPB is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. We toured the building with the production manager. The building is pretty big and we were able to tour studio C, the biggest studio they have where they set up seven high tech cameras! we were told that they are extremely expensive running around $100,ooo and higher. Studio C was set up for a Michelle Nun debate, and what we were told about that studio I found interesting because the lighting rack is mobile so it can be moved all the way to the floor and they lighting technician can place the lights needed without needing to manually do it with a latter. I thought this was a nice and convenient way of doing things and much safer. The crew does a lot of white balancing as well which was something that I at least recognized since I also have to do it as well for my 3900 production class.

I really liked when we toured the control room I like to call it the control center because the head person is running the show, they give the command and everybody has to be listening in order to know when to cut to commercial break as well as knowing what is going to be on screen for the next shot. We learned about giving the command that previews the next image and then if for whatever reason there is something wrong like a misspelled word or wrong image the whole crew/peers can jump up and catch it before it airs. When this is effective it helps with the companies credibility and authority so they try to make as little mistakes as possible if any. I learned what a sound box is, and it’s when there are multiple outlets of media in one of the studios and they want to use the audio but want to shoot their own video they can do so with this box.This allows to have many others do the same because of the many outputs that the box allows.

This class field trip was fun because we also got to see the sound booth and green screen studio. We were told about some of the shows the studio rents its space out to like paternity court room which I thought was hilarious! But they bring in a lot of jobs and money which is great I think. I would love to internship for them at some point in my college career and if you’re interested there’s the link! http://www.gpb.org/ go all the way to the bottom under support click the volunteer tab and it should allow you to sign up!

Information wants to be socialized it wants to be free and be discussed and analyzed and commented on and distributed. Information wants to do all this and it’s up to the journalist to manage it and leverage the conversation. But there are a few questions that beg for answers, like how do journalists participate in the conversation but still remain objective? What about ethical and legal issue because nowadays everyone can publish anything they want on professional sites? and finally, what happens when you really want the audience to participate, but they don’t?

I like this chapter because it works to address these questions. In the past comments left on articles or blogs have been mostly negative. Briggs points out that most journalists hate reading online commentary because it’s stinging and distracting but there is some evolution going on when it comes to this. As this technology is evolving and getting better newsrooms are becoming more accepting of their responsibility to ween out the bad from the good. Also more of the actual commentators are expecting more of each other as well.

I like the section about making conversation because it discuses how news stories and blog posts have mushroomed into a full social networking tool, they have become more than comments but rather a conversation I think. The good thing is that there is full participation by journalists on Facebook, Twitter, and many more. Mandy Jenkins tells us how she does it and i like her list.

1. She answers all questions

2. She addresses criticism, without being rude

3. She does go publicly or privately

4. She shares good responses

5. She publicly corrects herself

6. And finally she always acknowledges new tips.

I like that list because it’s short sweet and to the point. I don’t think you can go wrong or be penalized if those steps are followed. People converse through comments but they can also converse through social networking. The percentages of photos shared and content created represents a new way of connecting that social media has been able to do with people and communication information.

Why is news conversation important? Well I think it is important because it’s interactive it gives people an online community to exchange ideas and thoughts with. I like that Briggs says that journalists must get involved! Not just commenting and keeping the conversation going but in the upkeep of the web page or website. It does require energy so getting involved is a must! A website that reminds me of this is http://globalvoicesonline.org/ because content editors and produces are involved with overseeing the site and because it allows for collaboration among journalists.

I can get behind the idea of setting guidelines for participating as well as monitoring of offensive content. I like this chapter because it further helps journalists use their resources to their advantage it puts in perspective the idea that we have a responsibility to the public to put compelling stories up and also stories that will allow interaction and response from the community.

According to Briggs data is everywhere! But isn’t that the truth? We are constantly bombarded with constant data. It’s available at our fingertips and it’s there whenever we want it, data is constant and it’s only going to continue growing. Because this new age of technology has brought with it immense amounts of data, it can have a double impact on most people according to Briggs. So lets talk about what those two challenges are. First challenge has to do with personal, just being able to take advantage of the tools and services to manage the every day without drowning in a sea of e-mails and blog posts and other interesting information. The second challenge is more on the professional side of things. Just being able to seize new technology like searchable databases and web sites that allow interactive dialogue with others in your profession.

Being a journalist and always on the go it can become hard to organize your personal space but it’s important that you do. I like this chapter because it not only suggests how to manage your resources but also how to manage your space. I especially like how Briggs suggest digitalizing your life, putting everything on in one place will boost productivity! Also spending some time searching for apps that will help you save time and help organize your life will be worth the investment. Briggs suggest the website Lifehacker.com as a resource for tips on productivity and I think this website can also help by suggesting ways to minimize desk space.

Organizing emails is probably one of the least favorite things to do but Briggs swears that if you take the time to create filters and folders the one time then from then on out, you as a journalist can focus on more important things. I agree with him on that. Who’s got time to be sorting through junk mail? Not me! Having folders like, “waiting on” or “read this” can be helpful so you know what still needs to be worked on what needs more information before the story can be complete and what could be answered in the next two minutes. If it can’t be answered in two minutes the file it! I like how Briggs gives all these little tips they are very useful and not something that I would have really given much thought to. I like how he talks about in the same way, to organize contacts and to develop a formula for doing things.

The second part of this chapter focuses on the data driven journalist. A typical newsroom compiles and publishes lists, some weekly, some annually and all that information can get lost or become unavailable if not organized and stored properly. The problem here is that audiences want the information now not when the news organization gets around to it. A way to fix this according to Briggs is to create spreadsheets and shared databases.

So why is data-driven journalism important? Well i think it’s because it can be constantly updated, and because visitors to the site can access the most recent information anytime. It’s also a way to tell a story with data. It can help reporters do their job, being able to access these databases with record information is especially important to an investigative journalist. An interesting database that could be used for instance if you were doing an investigative report of NFL players with arrest records you could go to http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nfl/arrests/ and check it out!

I liked this chapter it was very helpful. I hope that I was able to hit the most important parts and break it down a bit. There are plenty more helpful tips and guesses as to where online database can take us but one thing I do know, the ease of working with structured data that makes my life easier is something I could get used to!

In this chapter Briggs points out the technological advances that mobile phones have made and how much they have impacted the way journalists gather and share information. Only a few years ago it would have taken a five man crew to cover a story and now all you really need is yourself and your smart phone. I especially like this chapter because it answers questions of how journalists do this type of ‘mobile journalism.’

I also agree with the idea that since everything is readily available when we want it the so must journalism evolve in a similar manner. Audiences are able to obtain hard news, entertainment, music, and so much more on the go, not to mention the ability to chime in their views and opinions on their mobile devices. Of course with social media that means that journalists must also go mobile of they want to appeal to these new age audience that wants and needs news now.

So something interesting about this chapter is the way that it lists what type of equipment a ‘gearhead’ journalist needs/wants to have. I think that this type of journalist needs to be a tech savvy person, interested in the latest laptops, video cameras, tripod, microphone and other important equipment. What i like about this list is that it also gives you the option of doing the job just as well with your smart phone, seeing as they too now come with the latest in camera resolution and many apps allow for a variety of photoshop options.

This way of way of communication allows for audiences to receive news now. A good point this chapter makes is that there are many ways to tell a story and that just like digital journalist shouldn’t limit their format to just one type neither shout mobile journalists. All in all I enjoyed this article because it allows us up and coming journalist the freedom to leave the regular desk job most have been tied to. Im attaching an interview where BBC reporter Nick Garnett shares his top five examples of how he has used his iPhone in place of a video camera. The examples demonstrate the advantages that mobile journalism have: Flexibility, affordability, and speedy turnaround.

Why were journalists to quick to embrace a service such as Twitter, that limits the writer to 140 characters? Microblogging has changed the way journalists share their stories with other writer and their audiences. This new technology has in a way made reading stories more intriguing because a short sentence can hook me into clicking on the whole story. This new way of publishing is so powerful because it allows for closer connection with readers.

Briggs talks about why microblogging is so popular and why it’s important. It’s popular because it invites users to quick updates on what their current status is. For example users can post what they are doing what they are feeling or simply what they will be doing. This allow for constant connection between friends and colleagues. It’s as if you no longer need to call or see that person because you already know what they are constantly doing. Briggs second point is that the reason why microblogging is so important is because it’s simple and flexible. Take Twitter for example, its open application programming interface allows for new tools to and technology to be built on top of Twitter. So in short microbloggers like Twitter provide functionality.

Social media platforms are effective mediums for breaking bad news. Many of accounts of news stories have been breaking first on Twitter. The book uses the example of an emergency landing that a Southwest plane had to make after a six-foot hole opened in the roof of the plane. But I recall reading first accounts of the Boston marathon bombing. My Twitter feed was blowing up and I remember seeing picture that were tweeted just moments after the tragic event. The way that microblogging has changed the news world, has to do with it’s constant and fast ability that the audience has to be constantly publishing their every single move.

Briggs goes on to suggest a few tips to on how to participate in this new community that is Twitter, obviously you have to catch up fast on the language. Then find people to follow you build your network. Finally i think it’s important to realize what you’re reading and posting the whole idea is to not spend your time re-reporting stories already reported but rather meet people in the same community who have their unique story to share.

I’m including the 9 breaking news tweets that changed the way news is reported on.

Many news organizations now more than ever are asking journalists to “do more with less” according to Briggs. This chapter is really interesting because it explains the discoveries that new age journalists are encountering. They are discovering the power of people, their audience can help them by finding sources, new angles, and constant feedback. I like that this chapter doesn’t stick to just one way of media to generate feed back but rather an array of digital tools and many technologies. The idea behind this chapter is to “bring journalists closer to readers and readers closer to journalism.” (Briggs, p. 64) Many news broadcasters are creating web pages where their readers can publish their own stories. New reporting methods are making audience generated content possible. Crowdsourcing is an interesting method that allows communities to generate together answers to specific questions. This method is generally used by news organizations to find instances of voting problems, and the like. Then there is open-source reporting that means using transparency in reporting to provide a benefit to the audience. Finally we have pro-journalism which is to me the most interactive because it allows the audience to generate and publish content directly to the same platform that professional journalists use.

Briggs discusses how with all these new forms of sharing have led to thousands of contributors. Blogs have grown into a full-blown news organization. Take PTM for example who was named by Time magazine one of the 25 best blogs, if it weren’t for their legal reporting and contribution of information eight U.S. attorneys would have never been punished for their crimes. It’s because of contributors like PTM and new age bloggers, that are redefining journalism.

Beatblogging is a new way that a reporter can bring together the stakeholders of a particular issue or topic and then build a network around that traditional reporting beat and open up a discussion among them. This allows a beat blog a “newsroom vehicle for providing in-depth coverage.” (Steve Buttry, Digital First Media) What is awesome about this new age blogging is that with every blog post there within the story a link can be found. Briggs acknowledges the power of that link by saying that its purpose is to provide easy access to source documents. It also in my opinion gives the blog and blog creator a more authoritative voice because the link provides support to the story.

Finally Briggs closes with saying that Print is still a powerful tool to gather an audience. Many newspapers don’t want to get left behind so they are also crowdsourcing. Bakersfield Californian newspaper launched Nothwest Voice the first “citizen journalism.” (Briggs, p. 82) The readers responded, and collaborative publishing is here to stay. I added the Neighborsgo community news because this is the best example that illustrates the community generated content.